The Least He Can Do
by Joker-Girl-Kelly
Summary: One, MAYBE two-shot. Alex Sparrow, Jack Sparrow's son, meets his father for the first time under some rather interesting circumstances. Goes with my story Captain Elizabeth Turner, could maybe stand alone, but I'd recommend you read my other story first. Rated T for safety.


**_Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Pirates, or else I wouldn't be writing random bits of fan fiction for it._**

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Why on earth did he decide to come _here_ of all places? This is the _stupidest _thing he's ever done. He is tired. He is starving. And there seems to be little chance of finding a ship that will take him on, even though he is more than willing to be a simple cabin boy. At least then maybe he'd get some food.

He yet again curses the rogue who'd stolen his only satchel of money, just for good measure. Bloody pirates.

It is getting dark. He needs to find some where to stay; wandering the streets of Tortuga alone at night isn't a good idea, particularly not if one is just a boy. He'd learned that lesson the hard way.

Alex pauses for just a moment to look around, finally lays eyes on a tavern that doesn't look _too_ full or rowdy, and promptly begins making his way towards it. Maybe if he is willing to help the barmaids working there they'd be willing to let him sleep there for the night – or at least give him something to eat.

He slips in quietly and makes his way over to the bar.

"Wha' do ye want, boy?" A sturdy older woman, no doubt the taverns owner, eyes him strangely from her place behind the bar.

"Work, miss."

"For wha'?" She scowls.

"Food, place to sleep. Anythin ye'll give me. Please, miss."

She doesn't answer immediately. He crosses his fingers.

"Awright. Some food an' nothin more. Try to keep them tables clean an' don't get in the way of me girls."

"Thank ye kindly, miss." He takes the old rag she hands him and runs off to do as she'd asked. He'll still have to worry about finding some place to stay, but at least his rumbling stomach will be satisfied for the night.

He spends what seems like forever going about this task, trailing after the taverns barmaid's, cleaning up whatever the rum-soaked rogues around him manage to spill.

He notices quite a few rather strange characters saunter into the tavern. One in particular catches his attention; a tall, thin man with long dread locks. He walks oddly, swaying on his feet a bit as though already drunk. Unlike the other men Alex has seen this night, this one is unacomppanied – he sits off in the farthest corner of the tavern where he can be alone.

Alex passes by his table a few times. He isn't sure why, but the man unnerves him some how, almost as if he is just a bit familiar. The barmaids keep an eye on the man too, although they are probably hoping he will take one of them to bed.

This seems unlikely. The man seems more than content to sit and drink. Alex wonders, off handedly, just what has the man looking so devastated.

He doesn't get too much longer to think on this as someone else catches his attention. This face is all too familiar.

He is a large man, well armed and mean-looking, called Little John by all who know him (_little. _Huh. Nice joke.)

He is the same man who saw fit to rob Alex of what little money he'd had just a few days prior. Alex can still see the little satchel of money hanging from the man's belt.

It seems fuller than it was before. Alex allows the hint of a smirk to pull at his lips. One of the few good things his mother had taught him was how to take what you needed from others without them knowing it.

Alright, so, not everyone would think that a good thing, but it was about to come in handy for him now anyways.

He makes his way over to Little John, but tries not to let the man get a good look at him. He makes his way over to where the pirate is sitting; the satchel, _his_ satchel, is very much so reachable, and the pirate is surrounded by rowdy friends, so maybe he won't notice…

Oh, how nice it would be to have a _proper _meal, not just dry bread and whatever gruel the woman behind the bar was willing to shove his way.

He stoops down not far from where Little John sits as though to clean up some spilled rum, eyes the satchel hanging down from the pirate's belt, reaches out carefully to grab the money…

…SMACK!

He is thrown back against one of the tables behind him as the pirate back hands him.

"You again! What do ye think yer doin?"

"Y-You stole my-!"

"How dare ye think to steal from me!"

"I-I was takin back wha' was already mine!" Alex scrambles to his feet, draws his sword.

Little John draws his as well. By god, even his sword seems at least as long as Alex is tall. Alex is shaking visibly now.

"Who do you think you are, you frightened little bilge rat."

Alex clutches his sword harder in his hand and glares up at Little John.

"Alex Sparrow, that's who!" He replies with as much pride as he can force into his voice.

He thinks he sees the strange man off in the corner perk up at this, but he doesn't have time to really look as Little John lets out a growl before bringing his sword down hard.

Alex only just manages to dodge it.

He darts off towards the enterance of the tavern, bumps into a table hard, runs into one of the barmaids who lets out a little scream as she drops the tray she'd been carrying, spilling rum everywhere. Alex just keeps going; he's almost there.

He is stopped by one of Little John's friends; this man is not nearly as big, but he still looks mean, and Alex isn't sure he'll be any better off fighting him.

He brings up his sword anyways.

The man falls down dead before Alex can make a move against him. Shot right in the head.

Alex spins around to see the strange man with dread locks, swaying twice as heavily on his feet, still clutching his half empty bottle of rum. He's also got a pistol out.

Alex is shocked the man's aim is so good considering he must be half drunk, but doesn't comment on it. He certainly isn't complaining.

Alex throws himself over an empty table as Little John attempts to slice him in half again; he scrambles back to his feet, trips over a chair, lands on his stomach, and turns himself over just in time to watch as the drunk goes at Little John.

He seems to dance across the floor of the tavern, twisting and turning until finally he manages to back Little John up to the back wall of the tavern.

"Wha' say ye give the lad back 'is money, eh mate?" The man slurs as he holds his sword up to Little John's neck. "And then ye can be on yer merry way."

Little John glares at the man, spits at his feet, growls out some curses, and finally takes the satchel from his belt and throws it at Alex, who manages to catch it.

The large pirate then storms out of the tavern, taking his rowdy men with him.

Alex half expects the tavern's owner to be angry, but when he looks her way she is watching Little John and his men leave, looking relieved, probably because her rowdiest customers are gone for now.

He turns to the strange man who's just saved his life.

"Y-You… I-I mean… Th-thanks."

The man sighs as he comes forward and offers his hand to Alex. Alex eyes it for a second before accepting it and standing.

"Awful young to be startin fights, 'specially fights ye can't finish. Are ye alright, lad?"

"Y-yes, sir. I think so. I-I didn't mean to start any fight. W-who are you? I-I mean, why did ye save me? I-I mean, not tha' I'm complainin or nothin, s'just…"

"What did ye say yer name was?" The man interrupts.

Alex stares at him blankly.

"Erm, A-Alex. Alex Sparrow."

"Sparrow. Got a mum, Alex?"

"No, sir." Alex gets quieter at the thought. "Not anymore."

"Don't s'ppose ye've got a place to call 'ome, then, either."

Alex just shakes his head.

"Well, now ye do. Ye'll come back to the ship wit' me. Sure we can find some work for ye." The man takes a few coins out of his coat pocket, placing them in front of the taverns owner.

"Hm." The older woman snorts, eyeing the man. "Guess it was only a ma'er o' time fore ye'd find yerself with a baby Sparrow. Knew the boy looked familiar some 'ow."

"Shut it and take the coins, woman." The man growls softly as he brings the bottle of rum back to his lips.

She scowls, but does as he says.

"Good luck, _Cap'n_ Sparrow."

Alex freezes for a moment as the man – Sparrow, Jack Sparrow – saunters out of the tavern.

"Well, are ye comin?" Sparrow calls over his shoulder.

Alex jogs up to walk along side him.

"Did she just say…"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, ye heard right." A hint of a smirk pulls at the mans lips.

Alex is silent for a long moment as he follows the man for lack of a better choice, mulling this over. What a way to meet your father for the first time. A part of him wonders how he can be so calm. He'd always thought he'd want to kill his father if he'd met him, for abandoning Alex's mother like he had.

But this man has just saved his life. And now he is taking Alex onto his ship, no questions asked. That counts for something; it has to, because Alex is likely to end up dead if he stays on his own too much longer with the way things are going for him.

"Thank ye." Alex says quietly, the only thing he can think to say, save for making some stupidly obvious statement about who this man is.

"S'the least I can do." Captain Sparrow replies simply. They are silent for the rest of their walk, which takes them down to the docks and onto that most famous of ships, the _Black Pearl_.

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_**I kind of had fun writing this. I was trying to think of a way for them to meet without it being awkward in any way. For some reason I just had it pictured that if Jack were to meet his young kid he would want to take care of them somehow. **_

_**This would, obviously, take place in my story Captain Elizabeth Turner, somewhere between chapters 20 and 21.**_

_**Reviews would be nice, as always. :)**_


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